Spen Valley Magazine Spen Valley Magazine (draft) | Page 11

Mine’s a half thanks
Pubs, Inns and Brewing
Many of Spen Valley’s public houses have highways and built new sections of road, ran out of the old Yew Tree at Headlands
a long history. Some mark the centre of and charged a fee to travel. So inns such century. The Yew Tree had been a private
medieval settlements such as the Savile as the Star at Roberttown lost trade house until the mid-eighteenth century,
Arms, Hunsworth; the Shoulder of Mutton, when bypassed by a new turnpike (now becoming an inn due to its prime position
one in Hightown, the other Gomersal, the A62), while new establishments from 1765 on the Leeds to Manchester
and the Star at Littletown. Also, the appeared on the new road e.g. New Yew stagecoach route.
George, previously the Nag’s Head, Tree. The Halfway House at Birkenshaw overlooking Cleckheaton Green. Other marks the mid-point of the Leeds and inns served people travelling miles to Whitehall (Lightcliffe) turnpike in the church, for example the Black Bull at 1820s. Similarly the first railway line Birstall and the Brown Cow (Priory) at through the valley, opening from 1847, Whitechapel Lane. brought with it pubs and hotels, notably
the Railway Hotel in Heckmondwike and
As long-distance travel became more
the Station, Cleckheaton.
common, inns grew up along main routes.
Packhorse
Some offered rooms and stabling. The By this time, inn-keeping was a more Old and New Pack Horse at Hartshead professional operation. Previously, beer Moor point to the ancient transport houses were run as a side-line, often by Much beer consumed before 1800 was
of woollen cloth and other goods by a farmer, or perhaps a blacksmith (like brewed in the home, often as part of a
donkey and pony. the Bull’s Head, Listing Lane). Or another housewife’s duties. It was low in alcohol
business worked alongside, as with the and served to everyone, including children.
Turnpike Trusts were established from Globe Inn at Millbridge, which was also The brewing process meant it was less
the 1740s. They improved existing a post office. A substantial haulage firm likely than water to be impure. Of the
beer sold in pubs, commonly this was
brewed on the premises. At the Shears
in Hightown, alongside the Wakefield
and Halifax turnpike (1740-1), Luddites
planned their protests in 1811-12 over
pints of the landlord’s own beer.
Increasingly in the nineteenth century,
beer came from steam-powered
breweries. From 1828 sale was restricted
to licensed premises, and then in 1830
a new category, the beerhouse, was
created, resulting in a great increase in
pubs.
George & Dragon